Stories

Usman Kanu is a rice farmer from the Masimera chiefdom in Sierra Leone. Thanks to his participation in WFP's rice farming project he has doubled his yields in the last two harvests and has been able to build himself a house from the profits. The project – funded by the Government of Japan – provides rural families with the tools and techniques to better cultivate the land around their villages. Rice production in the whole area has shot up by 186 percent, making Usman's experience just one of many success stories. As harvest season approaches this year, farmers are hoping for even better results.

For years, the rains in Karusi province in Burundi have been below average. The insufficient rainfall has destroyed the livelihoods of people who mainly depend on agricultural production to provide for their families. WFP is implementing a food-for-assets project to boost the resilience of vulnerable people in Karusi and enable them to cope better with climatic shocks. The participants receive cash transfers which allow households to purchase food to meet their nutritional needs while they work on communal assets. Thanks to the support of the German Government, the project is targeting 1,630 of the most vulnerable households in the food-insecure communes of Bugenyuzi and Gitaramuka.

Recurrent climate-related shocks are one of the main drivers of food insecurity in Zimbabwe. Current food shortages have been exacerbated by one of the most devastating El Niño-induced droughts in recent history. Agriculture is particularly vulnerable because of the heavy reliance of smallholder farmers on rain-fed maize production. The effects of two consecutive years of drought are evident in widespread crop failure, livestock deaths and dwindling livelihood and income-earning options for the rural populace. Mwenezi, a district in Masvingo, has been hard hit. WFP is rapidly stepping up life-saving operations and reaching a growing number of people with food and cash-based relief as well as with activities designed to improve the resilience of farming communities. These are some of the faces and stories of people affected by the drought.

Murielle Bonostro can’t forget the young boy in Haiti whose life was turned around by nutritious food. To mark World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, team members from the World Food Programme share their stories about working in their own countries to help end hunger. The seventh in the series, this is Murielle’s story from Haiti.

In the remote district of Deh Sabz in the central highlands, locals are eagerly awaiting the completion of a new village access road that will enable children to get to school faster and improve access to markets and healthcare facilities.

As a programme associate in Yemen for the World Food Programme, Abeer Noman has survived airstrikes, evacuated staff and made sure her own family is safe. In the lead up to this year’s World Humanitarian Day, we’re sharing stories that celebrate the spirit of humanitarianism. This is Abeer’s story.

Hafiza Khan knows first-hand what it’s like to experience the aftermath of a super cyclone. To mark World Humanitarian Day on 19 August, Hafiza and other World Food Programme team members are sharing their stories about working in their own countries to help end hunger.

Over the past decades, Brazil has made sustained efforts to reduce malnutrition, and its commitment has paid off. While all eyes are on the country for the Rio 2016 Summer Games, we look at ten things to know about food and nutrition.